# Is "Middle Passage" by Charles Johnson a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Middle Passage by Charles Johnson (Atheneum, 1990) is identified by: First Edition stated on the copyright page above a full descending number line; Atheneum (New York) imprint; quarter black cloth over maroon paper boards, gilt spine lettering and blind stamping to the front board; first-issue dust jacket priced on the front flap. The US Atheneum hardcover of 1990 is the true first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First Edition stated on the copyright page above a full descending number line
- Atheneum (New York) imprint; quarter black cloth over maroon paper boards, gilt spine lettering and blind stamping to the front board; first-issue dust jacket priced on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Atheneum
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Charles Johnson |
| Publisher | Atheneum |
| Year | 1990 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First Edition stated on the copyright page above a full descending number line |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First Edition stated on the copyright page above a full descending number line; Atheneum (New York) imprint; quarter black cloth over maroon paper boards, gilt spine lettering and blind stamping to the front board; first-issue dust jacket priced on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
The US Atheneum hardcover of 1990 is the true first edition. It won the 1990 National Book Award for Fiction and had a comparatively small first printing.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions lack the first-edition statement and the printed jacket price, are usually smaller and lighter, and carry a blind stamp to the rear board.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Middle Passage* by Charles Johnson a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/middle-passage
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.